Nick Gwilliam, Lighting Designer at Ansell Lighting, shares his insights on how to approach outdoor lighting schemes effectively and explores the benefits of integrating the latest smart and solar-powered innovations.

Summer is finally on the horizon and outdoor lighting projects are high on the agenda for many. But they can be complex, requiring solutions for garden and social spaces, alongside safety and security requirements – and all with an eye on design as well.

Different roles

Whether it is for a home, garden, business premises – or a combination of the three – outdoor lighting is about so much more than security lights.

Lighting plays a multitude of roles, enhancing visibility during hours of darkness, ensuring safety and security around building perimeters and public access areas, deterring criminals, and enriching the ambience and visual appeal of buildings, gardens, features and outdoor spaces.

Planning an outdoor lighting project therefore goes beyond simply choosing a fitting and a place to install it. Considerations include product styling and durability; CCT and brightness settings; positioning, mounting heights and spacing; and, of course, issues such as light pollution avoidance.

The best starting point for an outdoor lighting project is to look at the spaces that require illumination and consider how each area will be used. Is lighting needed to enhance user safety or provide security? Is ambience important? Will the space be used for leisure or just access purposes? Is visual impact important? Is constant illumination required?

Defining the purpose of the lighting required will help to guide both the design and product specification. And combining all of the required elements takes some careful planning.

Product types

Product specification is key, which is where a knowledgeable wholesaler comes into their own. Different areas require different types of products. For example, wall-mounted luminaires are ideal for building façades and wall areas; floodlights for car parks and large open spaces and bollards are ideal for pathways or landscaped zones.

And due to their very nature, luminaires for outdoor and exterior building use need to be robust, with a high IP and IK rating. Those that are constructed from materials such as die-cast aluminium, polycarbonate or stainless-steel will offer the best performance against the elements for longevity.

In garden settings, whether that is residential or public realm, the most effective schemes usually incorporate a variety of lighting techniques, to add depth and bring life to the spaces.

Uplighting creates a dramatic effect, perfect for drawing attention to trees, sculptures or water features. Downlighting, which mimics moonlight, is ideal for softly illuminating paths, patios or doorways. Silhouetting involves placing light sources behind plants or objects to emphasise shape and structure, creating a striking artistic effect.

Other techniques like wall washing and grazing can highlight textured surfaces and materials, while cross-lighting and mirroring enhance depth and dimension. Together, these approaches ensure a dynamic and visually interesting space after dark.

Avoiding light pollution is a major consideration when designing an outdoor lighting installation and must not be overlooked. Clever placement, low level lighting and the specification of fittings that hold the Dark Sky Fixture Seal of Approval accreditation, are all recommended, helping to keep light spill to a minimum. The Dark Sky certification is only given to products that are fully shielded and emit minimal amounts of blue light and glare in the nighttime environment. Where this is not possible, luminaires with optics that combine advanced lens technology and enhanced glare control designs should be selected. The key objective is to ensure the minimal amount of light is given off upwards or sideways.

A huge part of product specification is, now more than ever, energy efficiency. Outdoor lighting can be left on for many hours – especially during winter months – meaning electricians and installers are under increasing pressure to deliver lighting that is energy efficient and cost effective to operate.

Opportunity

For wholesalers, this presents a key opportunity to add value and support to customers, by providing a comprehensive range of high-efficiency lighting solutions that work alongside LED fittings, to help reduce consumption and meet sustainability targets.

A great place to start is with motion sensors which ensure lighting is only in use when a space is occupied. Typically, there are two main types of motion sensor technology in use: Microwave and Passive Infra-Red (PIR).

Smart technology is another game-changer in terms of energy-efficiency. Allowing users to control, customise and automate lighting to an exceptional degree, connected lighting solutions help to optimise energy use and enhance functionality. They are great for domestic and commercial projects alike where lighting can be scheduled to operate only when areas are in use or programmed to activate at specific times as required.

And, connected lighting, is perfect to enhance design and ambience in social areas, with its adjustable settings allowing users to select different colours and colour temperatures to transform the look and feel of a space. Whether it’s a warm, welcoming white tone or a decorative colour for seasonal events, smart technology allows users to create a custom environment.

Solar power

Solar lighting is also worthy of consideration because of what it is able to deliver in terms of cost effectiveness and, increasingly, in performance. Significant advances in the technology has resulted in more efficient solar panels, improved LED function and better battery storage capabilities, so solar-powered lighting is now a reliable and high-performing choice, even in the UK’s less predictable climate. And as a result, the selection of solar lighting products now available has also increased.

Solar is of course completely free to operate and doesn’t add to household or business running costs, but the other huge bonus is quick and straightforward installation, with no need for disruptive outdoor cabling or electrical wiring work, and the flexibility to more easily move the fittings.

There are a myriad of factors to consider with outdoor lighting projects, but achieving an effective installation is easily achievable if time if dedicated, up front, to planning, design and product selection.

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